The Promise of Tomorrow: The Story
by VaingloriousHound
Summary: Well, you wanted it, you got it! The full story of "The Promise of Tomorrow" written out (if no yet finished :3) CH4 in progress! First chapter rewritten! About 3k words added! All hail the fluff!
1. Chapter 1

**The Promise of Tomorrow  
**

 **A/N: Here we fucking go, you guys wanted it, and I did it! First chapter is more or less absolutely the same so you may just skip to the second! Second chapter begins with their release and their first day out in freedom.  
**

 **13.8.18 A/N: I elongated this for more fluff and angst before they leave the prison!**

* * *

The heavy metal doors of her cell were roughly forced open just as she had managed to settle down somewhat comfortably in her new, a bit less than dank, abode. Tayuya briefly looked up, but as no one immediately entered, her eyes drifted shut again. Her injuries hadn't healed fully yet and bothering herself with whatever the stupid ANBU guard wanted was simply out of her depth right now.

Initially she had been surprised by how clean her prison cell was. White tiles on the floor, gray painted walls and a decent sized window. Underneath the window was a small desk with a chair. A separate door lead to a small bathroom with a shower. And aside from her nightstand and the cot she was sleeping on, the cell was barren. So unlike the disciplinary cells at Orochimaru's hideouts. And she had spent a lot of time in them. In hindsight, getting captured may just have been the best thing to happen to her.

If only she wouldn't still bear the damn curse mark. It burned upon her skin, steadily flooding her with liquid fire, putting her in a constant and silent agony that she couldn't escape from. She couldn't make a sound to save her life, her tears only ever seen as a sign of her despair. And it was, but the medics put it to her crushed and her imprisonment.

Tayuya tilted her head when she heard someone enter. As soon as the footsteps crossed the threshold, the door was slammed closed and locked once more. And then there was silence, she couldn't even hear the newcomer breath. Eventually, she heard the sound of something dripping onto the tile floor, a steady plip-plop that continued for a while until there was some rustling of cloth and suddenly the sound of tearing.

She opened her eyes, careful not to move to fast, and sat up.

"What the fuck are _you_ doing in here?!"

It was the first thing that came to her mind, she just spat it at him. At that blonde guy she had punched in the face when he tried to get past her. The idiot that claimed to take Sas-gay back from his kidnappers. Hah! The idiot Uchiha was all too eager to leave the village and have his ass fondled by Orochimaru.

The blonde didn't answer, in fact, he didn't even acknowledge her presence. He was standing there, swaying slightly and tearing up his eyesore of a jacket.

Tayuya blinked when she saw what was underneath.

A gaping hole in the middle of his chest, blood still pouring freely from it. She could see that his ribs stood at odd angles, some even visible in the mass of blood and meat. The blonde stopped tearing up his jacket, having transformed into one long strip of cloth and a few bits that he let drop to the ground.

With a few quick and definitely painful movements he wrapped himself up, bandaging his wound as best he could. When he tied the ends up, he grunted once in pain, looked up at her and then-

Fainted.

Great. Now he was there one the ground besides her cot, bleeding all over her relatively clean floor.

"Oh fuck off," she groused, "What is wrong with these people here?"

Because she couldn't move anyways, Tayuya knew there was nothing she could do about the (probably) dead body and laid back down, exhaustion gripping her and pulling her into a nightmare riddled, pain filled sleep.

 **XXXXXX**

When Tayuya opened her eyes again, she saw blue. Clear, cerulean blue. It was her favorite color. It reminded her of the sky, a sense of freedom. It looked nice.

But this blue did not stem from the sky. She blinked owlishly and stared into two blue eyes mere inches away from her. Eyes widening in shock and bewilderment she tired to sit up but her shoulders were held down by a pair of hands. Instinctual fear took over and she opened her mouth to curse, tried to wiggle her body out from under him but his hand came up and covered her mouth. She tried to kick him, use her legs, but they were still in no condition to be moved and she nearly passed out from the pain as her vision flared white.

When Tayuya regained her sight, the blue eyes were gone and so was the hand over her mouth. She sat up, way too fast, and cringed in pain.

The teen they had thrown into her cell was sitting at her side on the cot, staring blankly at her.

"What the hell?" she rasped out. "You have a death wish or something?!"

He chucked humorlessly, a strange look in his eyes. "Don't act like you could grant it. You are in no condition to do anything."

Tayuya fumed. "Why are you even in here, shithead? Failed to get your lover back?"

He laughed loudly which transformed into bloody coughs and heaves as he spit blood into his hand. He looked at it for a second before he looked back at her.

"No, I dragged his sorry ass back. Broke every damn bone in his body, but he was alive. But apparently," he spoke with an undertone of pure loathing, "attacking the last Uchiha in such unnecessary and brutal fashion is a capital offense. Never mind that he put a hole into my chest." He sighed and slid off the cot, sitting on the floor and leaning against it instead.

Tayuya wanted to laugh but as she inhaled she cringed in pain as her seal hammered out another dose of agony. She fell backwards into her pillow and bit her lip so she wouldn't scream. Blood pooled in her mouth and she was about to pass out when the pain suddenly stopped.

Blinking, she saw his eyes again, this time as they pulled away from her neck.

"That thing," he said before she could gather her wits to curse at him, "is disturbing. The malice it radiates makes me sick."

"What... What did you do?" she wheezed, clutching her mark with one hand and using the other to try and push him away.

Never before had anyone stopped the mark from hurting aside from Orochimaru himself. Whatever he did, why was her skin moist at the mark?

"Kissed it better," he said, grinning as he climbed of her again.

"Huh?" she asked dumbly, her mind still numb from the pain.

"I said, I kissed it better." He grinned and got closer, whispering into her ear in a breathy voice. "And you loved it."

He quickly ducked out of range as she swung at him. "Fucking pervert!" she hollered and instantly fell silent again as pain flooded her once more. He ribs were still tender and the muscles still broken.

"If you say so," he said, shrugging and sitting down on the second cot in the room. Tayuya hadn't noticed there even was a second one. "But you better get used to it. I can't sleep if you moan in agony all the time."

She opened her mouth only to close it again. She was going to gut him one day, sadly, this day seemed yet so far away.

"Fuck you, pervert," she grumbled eventually and laid back down to sleep. Her nightmares came again, but they seemed to be her very own this time, not induced by the cursed seal. She wasn't tortured by the painful memories of her mother, at least not as persistent as it was with the curse mark fully active.

 **XXXXXX**

"Get off me, fucker."

She woke up once more to Naruto, as he introduced himself, hovering over her. Though she was loath to admit it, she had slept by far better than she had ever before. The amount of actual sleep she had gotten in the fast five or so nights greatly sped up her recovery. She still couldn't feel anything but pain from then but she firmly told herself that it would be fine.

"And a good morning to you, too, Tayuya," he said, smirking as he climbed off her.

Naruto was way to smug about this. By now she semi trusted him not to rape her or something in her sleep but maybe he just waited until she could actually fight back. She shuddered. Not what she wanted to think about right now.

Ever since she had moaned involuntarily as his lips brushed her ear he grinned like a loon whenever he elicited the same effect once more. Which was why he looked at her like that. Its not like its her fault that her ears are sensitive!

Tayuya tried not to blush and turned aside to face the wall.

"Fuck you, pervert shithead."

He laughed, the cough was gone already and she actually wondered why he hadn't died for a moment. "I'm no such thing. I just help you out. You are the one enjoying it."

"Fuck, I'm not-!" she snapped and sprang halfway of her cot when the pain cut her off. Her body froze as her muscles pulled taut and she tilted ever so slowly over the edge and towards the ground.

With a startled and painful yelp she found herself in Naruto's lap. There was a flash of something she hadn't seen in anyone's face for as long as she could remember. Genuine concern. It turned her stomach upside down and instead of being filled with butterflies, the seal on her neck flared to life as if it had sensed the tiny bit of happiness, and had her cry out in pain.

Tayuya hadn't been awake enough the other times to feel Naruto do anything when he did stop the pain. This time however he could feel his hot lips burn against her skin just a second before the burning pain was washed away by a pleasing warmth. But then she felt him pull away and the dull ache threatened to return. She wasn't ready to face the pain again, to feel all this agony, to hear that bastard laugh so coldly and cruelly again. So she pulled him closer again, silently willing him to keep the pain away. She had no idea why she would trust someone's teeth at her throat like that, but in that instance, she did. Tayuya trusted the guy that she barely knew from an enemy village, whose best friend (or so she suspected) she helped get to defect, with her life. Or what was left of it anyways.

She warped her arms around him, around her only source of warmth, of _comfort,_ she had in years. Tayuya expected him to say something, call her a bitch, an enemy, just _something_! But he never did. Naruto's arms came up around her, if a little hesitant, and squeezed her into his chest. This, Tayuya remembered dimly, was her very first hug. Prying her eyes open she saw his dirty blonde hair and part of his exposed neck. The dirty bandages were still slung over his shoulder and his once white shirt was nothing but dirty gray at this point. His shoulder, his neck. They were unmarked, not a blemish on his skin. No curse mark tom speak of. She stared for a long suffering second before she leaned forward, her lips slightly parted and-

Naruto pulled back, looking at her with half lidded eyes. His arms slowly slipped from her and Tayuya nearly whimpered at the loss of warmth.

"You know," he said, leaning back a little more so he could look at her, "I really hated you when I came in here for the first time. I barely remembered you and the hole in my chest was kinda making my head light. So when I woke up again after I passed out... I was angry. Everything came crashing down, that I lost everything. It was frustrating." Naruto shook his head, and looked deeply into Tayuya's eyes. "I tried to kill you," he told her, his gaze not wavering, "I really tried, but I couldn't. I saw in how much pain you were, not just because of your broken bones and all that, but because of that mark."

Naruto placed a hand upon her curse mark. She looked up at him uncertainly, emotions boiling in her head, filling the vacuum left by the curse mark. "You talk in your sleep," he said, "About Orochimaru and... and your mother. That he took her from you and tried to-"

Tayuya didn't listen anymore. She clamped her hands over her ears and shook her head violently. "Shut up!" she screamed, "Shut up! I' don't-... I don't want to fucking hear it!"

"I'm sorry," he said and pushed her off himself before she could do anything. Standing quickly, he walked to the other side of the cell and leaned against the wall with his back to her.

Tayuya growled. "I don't need your pity," she bit out through gritted teeth.

Naruto was silent for a moment before his form shook and slowly his laugh began to escape him, but there was no humor in it, no real emotion aside from... despair or something like that. Tayuya couldn't tell.

"Pity?" he asked, more to the wall then her. "Pity is not something I'm willing to give to someone like you." He turned around to look at her, sliding down the wall until he sat on the ground. "No, I admire you."

"Sure you do," she scoffed, "Now fuck off!"

He chuckled. "But I do. I am amazed by the fact that your aren't just an empty shell." His blue eyes seemed to glow in the half light of the cell and her breathing hitched. "I admire that you still stand, that you still defy whatever is thrown at you." He shook his head. "I couldn't do that. I'm too weak."

"You survived a bloody hole in your chest," she countered, trying not to take the compliment, "Not my definition of weak."

"That's not strong," he said, "People tended to call it stubborn." She snorted a laugh.

Then Tayuya remembered a question that burned in her mind ever since he had first calmed her seal. "How do you do it?" she asked, "Block the seal, I mean."

Naruto shrugged. "Really, I don't know. When I fought Sasuke, my chakra pushed back the seal effects whenever I hit him with enough of it. So I figured I could do the same to you."

"Why... Why your mouth though?" sh asked, turning only the slightest bit red. But in the dim light of the cell she was sure Naruto couldn't see it.

He laughed sheepishly. "I have an unholy amount of chakra. Whenever I try to expel it from my hands," he placed his palm flat against the floor. Suddenly there was a loud thump and the tiles cracked beneath his hand, "I destroy things. The only point of my body where I can safely expel chakra is my mouth. I just gathered it there first and... well... let it wash over the seal, I guess."

Tayuya placed her hand on her neck where the seal was. It did indeed feel kind of subdued. "Still...," she began, reaching for a pillow, "Fucking pervert!"

She chucked the pillow right in his face. The first prison pillow fight ever ensued.

 **XXXXXX**

After a time, Tayuya was truly glad that she wasn't alone in her cell. And she was even more glad that it was Naruto. Half a year alone in a room with white tiles and gray walls with just one window without the use of her legs... it was like Orochimaru's lairs all over again, yet not as bad. She had leaned a lot about the blonde teen, which wasn't surprising, given that all they did was talk and... well, he would help her with the mark. That and the fact that he had to help her to the bathroom. Her legs were healing slowly because as a prisoner of war, extensive medical care was one of the things she was denied. her legs would heal just fine on their own, It just took extremely long... That also gave her more time to talk to her cellmate. Not that she had anything better to do.

Apparently, Naruto was scarily good at drawing. With a piece of charcoal he drew a picture on the wall a little besides the desk. It was a picture of her. And it was incredibly good, she had to admit that. She had no idea how he could draw her hair like that, so life like, with just a piece of choral. She'd later ask him to draw other things, like a lake, a town, trees in a forest and so much more until the wall was completely covered in his drawings. But the most prominent one was the picture of her, as if he had put most of his efforts into it.

Naruto learned that Tayuya could play many instruments aside from the flute, all of them taught to her by her mother who was once a great musician in Kumo. She showed him how to carve a flute out of wood, and taught him how to play it. He wasn't bad, Tayuya had to admit that, but not as good as her. After some time, it came to pass that someone brought them a simple violin, somehow smuggled into their cell. Naruto suspected that it came from the ANBU guard of their cell block but he was never sure of it.

Both of them had a mutual little fascination with coffee. The flavor, the color, the different sorts of beans, they both had always loved to have a cup of it, despite the fact that it was quite rare in the Elemental nations. They joked that they would open a coffee shop or something once they got out of there. It all seemed so far away now.

It was getting colder in Konoha, the temperature was dropping more and more each passing day, and both Naruto and Tayuya had become very much aware of that. Prisons were not exactly known for their central heating and even tough they had more than most prisoners. It still surprised Tayuya that they got all that extra stuff they had, though Naruto told her that his former sensei tried to smuggle as much stuff in as possible so if she needed something really bad, he could probably get it.

But right now, Tayuya doubted that the guy could smuggle a heater in here. The sun was setting and as it's light vanished from the window the temperature dropped drastically once more, though this time, it seemed far colder than it was the day before. She huddled herself in the extra blankets down on her cot, glaring over at Naruto, who didn't seem to be affected at all by the freezing temperature.

"W-Why a-aren't you c-c-cold!?" she asked through clattering teeth as he casually sat there on his bed. He had mercifully left his blanket to her.

Naruto looked up from the sheet of paper he was scribbling on and tilted his head. "I've never been cold or anything near that. Comes with being a jinjuriki, I guess."

"That is so not fucking fair!" Tayuya spat, a puffy could forming from her mouth.

As she shivered and her teeth clattered her curse mark suddenly began to ache again. Tayuya tensed and the clattering of teeth stopped. Looking up once more, Naruto placed his drawing aside and walked over to her. He stopped in front of her for just a second, his face tinged red, and pulled aside the covers. Tayuya cursed as the cold air rushed against her but instantly fell silent as Naruto slipped into the blankets and forced her stiff body to lay down with him before he pressed his lips onto her neck, just where the mark was.

A breathy moan escaped her lips, she couldn't help it. He was so warm, so wonderfully warm against her, so she drew him even closer. Naruto had been her rock, ever since she met him. Without his presence, without his comfort, she might as well have died out there in the forest, buried under trees. If not for him, she might have gone insane from the pain, from the loneliness and the nightmares. She would have broken beyond repair, but Naruto had held her together. Despite her prison sentence, of which she didn't even know how long it was, she felt like she had a future now. A future that she had no idea how it would look, but was certain to include one thing. Naruto. _Naruto. Naruto!_

She chanted his name like a mantra, feelings boiling over in her heart, that had once been devoid of everything but pain and sorrow. His lips against her skin felt so _good._ So right! She pried her heavy eyes open, woozy from the warmth and the rush of blood, and saw his exposed neck. Just like she had seen in half a year ago.

And this time, this time she wouldn't think twice about it.

Her lips felt like they'd burn off when hey met his skin, her head like it might just catch fire and her heart was about to burst from her rib cage as it hammered away harder than it had ever before. Naruto stiffened for only half the fraction of a second before a _growl_ rumbled beneath her lips and he pressed her body flush against him. His lips left the mark, but never her skin, and electricity jolted through her at ever new inch of her his lips met.

Tayuya's eyes grew heavy, her ears buzzed as blood flooded her body faster and faster, her body grew so sensitive all of sudden at the delicious friction, the sounds she made when his skin drifted over hers in delicious friction... it was overwhelming her. And it was perfect.

But then his lips left her, she whimpered and pulled on him, willing him to return to her. But he held fast and she pried her eyes open.

She was met by a gaze of piercing blue, darkened by _desire_. Desire for _her._ Tayuya shivered but held his gaze, willing herself not to grind herself against him.

"If we hadn't met as enemies-," he began and Tayuya felt her newly reformed heart crack, she felt like she could hear it shatter in her chest. Her hopes were washed away by the feeling of lead in her gut.

Tears began to form, she couldn't stop them. There was nothing left for her of Naruto would push her away. Nothing left to life for. She closed her eyes, she couldn't look at him when he rejected her, but his hand, which had been somehow beneath her shit on her waist, made it's way up to her face and cupped her cheek. Instantly her eyes snapped open again. Naruto smiled at her.

"Don't be hasty, Tayu," he chided in such a husky and breathy voice, it seemed to light her on fire all over again. "Again, If we hadn't met as enemies, this could have been so much easier. And happened _so much_ earlier."

And then his lips met hers and it was _perfect._

 **XXXXXX**

* * *

 **NEW PART!**

* * *

She awoke feeling warmer than it should be possible. Wasn't it winter or some shit? But that didn't matter. Tayuya snuggled deeper into the warmth and sighed in content. The warmth drew tighter around her, but not causing any discomfort, but it wasn't enough. For whatever reason, she wanted it to be even closer, so she brought her arms around-

Her eyes flew open. "Oh shit!" she cursed and pushed in the same moment.

Naruto was catapulted out of the cot with a yelp and rolled the distance all the way to his own, empty cot. With a groan he sat up and sent a mild glare in her direction. "Oh shit indeed. What was that for?"

"You- you!" Tayuya was grasping for the right words while also going through the fog of last nights memories. What the hell had happened? What had she done? What had he done _to her_!? "What did you do!?" she finally shouted.

He frowned before standing up. She realized that he still wore pants, which did little to comfort her raging mind.

"What do you remember?" he asked her, familiar with the fact that her memories were sometimes hazy. He cursed the damn seal.

It had the habit, or the function, to fog up any positive memory to the point where it was but flickers and shambles of what had actually happened. And he knew, that it terrified Tayuya. If she didn't remember them falling asleep together after... after...

Naruto blinked. He had kissed her. _He_ had kissed _her_! And he wasn't dead!

Happiness bubbled up in his stomach and a smile began to form on his lips, but Tayuya frowned and frowned even more as time went by.

Correction, he wasn't dead _yet_.

Not that he would blame her, of course. Tayuya never wanted to talk about it, but her nightmares were terrible. Her dreams must be extremely lucid because she shouted or whimpered whole sentences. Sentences that turned his stomach upside down and fueled his hate for Orochimaru beyond what he had thought possible.

Things like, _Leave her alone!, Get off my mother you swine!, Stop it! I beg you, leave her alone!, Why?! Why do you do this?! Am I not enough!? Why would you need another child!?_

That and other things kept Naruto awake for weeks. From what he gathered, Tayuya's mother was used as breeding stock by Orochimaru. The thought alone made him sick and had his gut clench in fury. Flickers of conversations he interpreted as being between Tayuya and her mother clued him in on the fact that Orochimaru planned to use Tayuya for the same as soon as her body was old enough to handle... to handle... subsequent _impregnation_ and birth. That night, Naruto's stomach had emptied about thrice in a row. The thought was too revolting for him to handle.

He knew Orochimaru to be a sick bastard but that stuff- these _atrocities_... If he ever got close enough to Orochimaru, he'd torture him first and serve him to Tayuya on a golden plate with an acid apple in his fucking mouth.

From these things alone he could understand her mistrust. Hell, he would understand it if she'd try to kill him. Though he would really like to explain things to her because being _with_ her was by far better then being _murdered by_ her.

"You can't remember," he simply stated when he didn't say anything. She shot him a glare. "Do you want me to tell you? Will you even believe me?"

"Try me!" she snarled back.

Naruto winced mentally at the harshness but told her anyways. After telling her that he had slipped into her cot he stopped her from verbally lashing out again. He told her how the seal had acted up again, how he had soothed the pain and she clung to him for warmth. How they had gazed into each others eyes and then... kissed.

She was silent when he ended his retelling and after a while Naruto grew uneasy. Had he acted hasty? Had he lost her? The thought hurt, by far more than these rejections he got by Sakura ever could. Or the punches she threw to emphasize them. Geez, the girl was by far to violent. Not even Tayuya had hit him that often. Though that may just change now.

"Do you mean it?"

Her voice snapped him out of it but he still answered without even thinking about it.

"Yes." His voice was solid and unbending, speaking form his very heart.

She averted her eyes and he could see her cheeks reddening ever so slightly. His heart bounced in circles in his chest.

"I... I can deal with that."

 **XXXXXX**

"Help me walk."

Naruto stopped his workout and looked up at her. "Huh?"

She frowned. "You heard me, idiot. Help me fucking walk!"

Yes, her legs still hadn't healed enough for her to walk or even stand on her own. Tayuya wasn't stupid. She knew her muscles had atrophied like shit and if she ever wanted to walk again, let alone kick Orochimaru's ass, she needed to exercise.

She frowned as she swung her yet useless legs over the bedside to sit up. "I need to fucking move them or they won't ever heal."

Naruto stood up and stretched his back. "Alright," he said, "What do you need me to do exactly?"

"Just hold me up so I can put some weight on these useless little shits."

That was easier said than done. Well, it was easily done, really. But Naruto was standing behind her, arms slung around her und her arms and around her torso just beneath her breasts. She tried her damnedest not to blush but was just appeased in the end by the fact that he couldn't see her face anyways.

"Fuck that hurts!" she hissed through clenched teeth as she pushed against what little weight Naruto left for her to stand against.

Naruto didn't ease the weight. Instead he asked "How long can you do this? Before it does any more damage than it helps?"

Tayuya snarled. "Fuck... if I know!"

Naruto just hummed as he slowly moved forward so that Tayuya would take a few steps herself. "Okay," he said, "We'll do this everyday for about... ten minutes?" Tayuya just grunted and huffed as she moved her legs. "Yeah, ten minutes it is. So ten minutes everyday until it gets easier and then we go longer." He received another huff in response. After the approximate ten minutes were over, he let Tayuya sit down in her cot.

She was breathing heavily, her face still showing her discomfort. "Oh fuck that hurt!" she bit out and leaned backwards until her head rested against the wall.

Naruto nodded. "Well, if it helps?"

Tayuya scoffed. "You just like to fondle my tits!"

Naruto turned an alarming shade of red in an alarmingly short time. "I didn't! I swear I didn't! You slipped and I wasn't prepared and just-"

"Fondled my tits," she finished for him.

"Fuck you...," he grumbled back at her.

She laughed loudly. "You actually cursed!"

"Well I was bound to pick something up!" he shot back, "Your vocabulary is freaking extensive after all!"

"Damn right it is!"

It was another cold night and it was another night in which Naruto ended up warming Tayuya when he had soothed her curse mark. She didn't kick him out this time. Waking up was still fairly awkward.

 **XXXXXX**

Sleeping arrangements didn't change then. Not immediately, at least. But on very cold nights, Naruto would simply go over to Tayuya's cot and she would lift the covers without a word for him to slide in. He would hold her and eventually she would grasp the hand that he had on her stomach and squeeze it. But waking up was really awkward the. Because spooning like that Tayuya awoke to the fact that Naruto was a healthy teenage boy. Okay, awkward didn't even begin to describe it. Disastrous would be more fitting. Because Tayuya did not, in no way at all, appreciate waking up to Naruto's erection pressing against her butt.

To his dying day Naruto would praise Kurama for the quick healing of _every_ wounded body part.

In Tayuya's defense, it only happened once. Well, and that one time after that, were Naruto's private parts were far more than just too close to her own private parts.

One night, an especially cold one, Tayuya was woken by Naruto lightly shaking her awake.

"W-what?" she asked groggily and then frowned. Why did her throat hurt? She rubbed her eyes and frowned even more. She had cried. Dammit!

"You had a nightmare," Naruto's voice tickled her ear and she thought the urge to shiver.

She remained silent, resolute to not talk about it.

He sighed. "You know, even if you don't talk about it, I pretty much know what you dream about."

Tayuya tensed and tried to slide away from Naruto but he just drew her closer. "And because I know what you dream about, I understand that you don't want to talk about it. So I'll just tell you what you dreamed, and you'll listen.

"You dreamed of your mother. Of how she was returned to her cell, I guess, after... after _they_ were through with her. She told you not to worry, that it would be all over soon. Then something else, another memory maybe. You shout at Orochimaru or Kabuto or something like that. You shout at them to tell you where your mother is. But they don't tell you so-"

"So I go look for her."

Naruto fell silent and drew her closer as she continued speaking in a toneless voice.

"I ran down the corridor she was always dragged off to and kicked down every door. Well, every door a seven year old girl can kick in. But I couldn't find her. I passed by the labs, the prison and then when I ran outside I-" Her voice broke and she chocked back a sob. Tayuya took a deep breath and turned around, looking Naruto directly in the eyes as he met her gaze without hesitation. "I found her in the mud, buried under a few other dead bodies, just as they were about to dispose of them. I dragged her out of there. She... she still dripped of- of...!" She clenched her teeth and blinked away some tears.

"I saw the marks on her neck. Even then I knew what they meant. She was strangulated to death... while they... while they _violated her_!" she snarled, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. "The other bodies. It was them. This bastards that killed her! I- I couldn't even think. I just sat there in the rain over my mothers dead body and cried. I cried until I passed out. I awoke in my cell. I was alone ever since. I buried her the day after. Got punished for it..."

Naruto didn't say anything but he held her gaze with his own.

When Tayuya's labored breath had calmed down, she prepared for the pity he would shower her with, those sad eyes that would act as if they understood, as if they could feel her pain and help her. But... she didn't find such in Naruto's eyes.

He smiled sadly at her. "I told you before, I won't pity you. Pity is for the weak and broken. And while you are certainly not whole anymore, you are neither weak nor are you broken. I can't comprehend loosing someone like that, I never had a family, nor anyone that close aside from the old man Hokage. His loss hurt, but it can't compare. But even if I can't understand it completely, I can still listen."

Maybe it won't help you, maybe it will, I don't know. I can only offer to be here for you. Mind you, that one of this made you any weaker to me. If anything, it just showed me how truly strong your heart is to go through all that and still be as wonderful as you are."

Tayuya just stared at him and for the longest time Naruto wondered if he had said something wrong. The she sniffed once and wiped her tears away.

She grinned. "Way to be sappy, lover boy!" Her voice was still shaky. "That was the most you ever said to me in one go!"

Naruto snorted and rolled his eyes.

 **XXXXXX**

It was the following night that Tayuya stopped him before he laid down on his cot. She just held on to the hem of his shirt and looked down at her feet.

"Lay down with me," she said, barely above a whisper.

Naruto nodded. "Okay," he said and let her pull him along.

Once they were tucked in, Tayuya turned around and looked into his eyes before she buried her face in the crock of his neck.

And then she just started talking.

About everything.

From the time she remembered living with her mother and being taught by her, the day Orochimaru abducted them for their special Genjutsu abilities, how he experimented on her ad kept her mother away from her. How she first saw her mother being violated, how she buried her in the forest and was punished with a week without food for it. How she trained harder and harder to get strong enough, how she received the curse mark when she was ten and nearly died. How she signed the summoning contract of the doki who viewed her more of a meal than a summoner and only her flute could control them. How she was pitted against countless others without even knowing why and she just fought to survive it all. How she was chosen as guardian of the north gate and received her title. She told him how the sound four were first formed and how Kimimaro creeped her the fuck out. How she was stupid enough to let Kabuto patch up her wounds which he only used as an opportunity so carve her a few new scars and 'gather data'. How she did missions up to the point where they had to infiltrate Konoha for the invasion. And how she was one of the four who upheld the barrier in which Orochimaru killed the Third Hokage.

When Naruto didn't react to that and just held her all the more, Tayuya continued.

She told him how they got out of Konoha, how they were instructed to infiltrate the village once more after they had been through a training/torture session with Kabuto and his failed experiments. How they met Sasuke and how he agreed to come with them. And then, how she first met him.

"I just saw you, in that kill me orange jacket and punched you right in the face. Really, I could't have missed if you would have been flea sized with that jacket." She snickered. "But I had to let your horribly dressed ass pass when that lazy shadow guy attacked me. And I would have beaten his ass if not for that bitch with her fan."

Naruto smirked. "Then I ought to thank her."

"You fucking what?!" Tayuya shouted indignantly.

He squeezed her tighter. "Of course! If she hadn't dropped a forest on you, I wouldn't have met you."

She scoffed but he could feel her face grow warm against him. "Well, she could have fucking knocked me out instead of burying me..."

"Yeah, she could."

"Oh she better had! Now I'm a' beat her sandy ass when I get out of here!"

Naruto laughed. "And that would end you up in prison in Suna. She is the daughter of the late Kazekage after all."

Tayuya groaned into him. "God dammit."

 **XXXXXX**

Was it the second year? Or still the first? She honestly couldn't tell anymore but it wasn't long after she could finally walk again. Which wasn't much fun, just walking around in the cell and to the bathroom.

Anyways, it was when she stumbled out of the shower (her legs weren't all that strong yet) when she noticed that something was different. Something being Naruto, of course.

"What?" she asked when she pulled on some socks.

He glanced at her and looked away again. He did that a few times before he stood up with an exasperate sigh.

"Look," he said only to stop and scratch his head. Tayuya knows that he always does that when he isn't certain about something. So she decides to give him time.

He turns to her and just stares, gazes into her eyes. She's taken aback by the raw emotions she sees in them. She stands up as well and makes a few shaky steps towards him. Now she needs to know what he has to say.

"Tell me," she whispers and takes his hands. They're hot, nearly burning up against her skin. "It's just me, you can tell me, can't you?"

He gulps and squeezes her hands a little. "And because it is you, it's all the more difficult. It's because you are so... so wonderful. So strong, so compassionate, so honest, so... so _beautiful_ , that is harder to say."

She blushes but doesn't shy away. "So out with it, lover boy. I know I'm great already."

He smiles. "And you are. You are the greatest to _me_. I mean... I..." Naruto takes a shaky breath but he smiles still, cheeks red and eyes still an ocean of raw emotion directed at _her_.

Naruto complemented her before, that wasn't what had her breath hitch. It was his eyes. Eyes that conveyed such adoration she couldn't believe it was directed at her. But she knew that look. She had seen it in the mirror after she could finally stand on her own. And she could stand on her own because of him. Not just stand on her feet. Just _stand_ as a person, as herself, because he was there, because he had listened. When she had made it to the shower her eyes were still alight with the same glint of... of affection as Naruto's were now. Only that his seemingly glowed and overflowed with it.

She swallowed as her throat ran dry. This was what getting serious meant, could it be?

* * *

Naruto's heart threatened to jump out of his throat any second now. Tayuya's eyes lit up with something akin to recognition and she hadn't stepped back, hadn't let go of his hands. She just swallowed once and waited. This was his moment! Say it already! Tell her that you freaking love her! That you love her to bits! Do it you idiot! Just do it!

He takes a deep breath, only then realizing that he hadn't inhaled in over a minute. She was right. It was just her. And while it did make things harder, it also made them easier. He told her things before. His nightmares, stories of his team, his dumb crush, of the girl that always fainted, of his lazy ass sensei, of how he came to see Sasuke as a brother and how that bond shattered when he tried to kill him. So how was this any different?

 **Because she could reject you.**

That must have been the least appropriate moment for the Kyuubi to speak up.

 _What the hell do you want!?_ , he snarled back mentally, _Can't you see I'm busy!?_

 **You are failing spectacularly at asking her to be your mate** , the fox snorts. **You told her of me, of your atrocious crush and your homosexual expirience with that Uchiha. How could you possibly drive her away after that?**

 _Oh fuck you!_ Naruto thinks back, _This is serious! What the hell am I gonna go without her!?_

 **Exactly. What will you do without her? Crawl back to your pathetic crush?  
**

 _Hell no!_

 **And what will you do when you get out of here and another male finds her appealing?**

Naruto swallos thickly. He does not want to think about that.

 **Of course you wouldn't want to!** the fox laughs, **She is yours after all! Just get over with it already! Do it or I'll take over and do it for you!**

 _You little-!_

But Naruto is running out of time when Tayuya speaks. "Naruto?" she asks in a small voice, laced with uncertainty.

No, he won't let her down, he can't! He lover her! Lover her too much!

 **Just say it you god damn bastard!**

"I love you."

It isn't a shout. It isn't a whisper. Not a squeak, not stuttered. It is said with utmost confidence, with the utmost truth from within. It is a statement, a reflection of his innermost feelings and thought and the very sum of his existence. It all comes down to her. To Tayuya.

To the girl he loves.

And then-

She smiles at him.

* * *

 **NEW part END!**

* * *

 **XXXXXX**

"Oi, Naruto! How much longer are we stuck in here again?"

The blonde sighed as he stepped out of the bathroom. A smile tugged on his lips, she had asked the same question eight times already.

"Tomorrow, so lay down already or it will never be morning. Kakashi promised to get us out first thing in the morning," he answered her and threw the towel back into the bathroom.

"But I'm not tired yet! It feels like I've been sleeping straight for three fucking years!" she whined, slowly turning on the chair she sat on, "Fuck, I don't wanna lay do-" She froze when she came to face him but quickly smirked. "Oh, suddenly the bed seems all the more inviting!"

He laughed as her shirt hit his face, though he had the decency to blush when her panties joined the top. He was grabbed (not by either of his arms or hands, mind you) and pulled forward. Mindful of the appendage, the pull wasn't exactly rough. He came to a stop in front of the bed, Tayuya slowly laid down on her back and held out her arms, grinning up at him. He twitched (not his face though), grinning down at her.

"Now make love to me one last time in here, lover boy!" she commanded him grinning like a loon, "Because tomorrow, you will have to find us a new bed first!"

* * *

 **EDIT A/N: I hope you like the more detailed first chapter! I realized that simply reposting the one shot as first chapter was kind of lame.. So here! Hope it was fluffy enough! I seriously ran out of cotton here.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Promise of Tomorrow**

 **A/N: Well, here we go!**

* * *

"Come on! Come on! Come the fuck on!"

Tayuya was bouncing on the balls of her feet in front of the metallic cell door. The excitement rolled in waves of her. It was their final morning in prison. An ABNU was scheduled to bring them before the Hokage any minute now.

Naruto stuffed tidbits and clothes into a bag they had been given and smiled to himself as he watched her bounce, her impossibly long hair waving around her and-

"Wait," he suddenly said as he looked at her a little more closely, "Why are you naked?"

Tayuya stopped bouncing and turned around. She blinked. "Shit, I am!" she exclaimed but made no move to change her state of undress. Not that Naruto minded. Then again, he would mind a great deal if Kakashi waltzed in here and got to see _his_ girl naked. Stupid pervert scarecrow...

"Yeah," he says, "naked and beautiful." He grins as she blushes, but smiles just as smugly, and pulls his hoodie over his head. In two long strides he stand in front of her and pulls the hoodie over her red head. Tayuya's head pops up again and she immediately jumps a bit to kiss him.

The smile on her face is radiant. "I am _happy_!" She says it like she can't believe it. Naruto's hate for Orochimaru only grows with every moment he spends with Tayuya. "And I'll be fucking _free_! For the first time since... since forever!"

And so she returns to bouncing. The black hoodie is long enough to cover her backside - most of it anyways - and Naruto returns to stuff the bag with their surprisingly large amount of personal possessions (for prisoners, that is).

There is of course Tayuya's flute, a small book of drawings, the flute Naruto once carved, a few books Tayuya actually wrote (they were ungodly fluffy and sappy, so much unlike her general behavior towards anyone but Naruto), a stuffed plush fox (a joke from Kakashi that turned out to be the perfect gift to Tayuya), a set of lingerie (courtesy of Ero-sennin. They would never tell him she actually wore them), training weights from Lee (along with a gift card that red the word youth over three hundred times in total) and a bottle of yet unopened sake from Tsunade.

That and a lot of other tidbits had accumulated over the years they had spent in "solitary" confinement. Solitary being the solitary cell they were in. And of course, they weren't allowed outside of it, which really sucked at some point but discovering just how good of a stress relive sex is negated that problem and basically voided their need to move out of the room.

It literally got steamy in there. Often. Loudly. Good thing there was a silencing seal on the door and the walls.

Finally, after two more minutes of bouncing, the door was pulled open and a head of silver, gravity defying hair leaned inside.

"Well hello there," he said nonchalantly, but his lone eye gleamed with mirth. "I've heard you're to be released today so I took it upon my humble self to escort you to Lord Hokage personally."

Tayuya's smile turned evil. "Does that mean we are three hours late already?"

The menacing note in the red heads voice had Kakashi shiver. Geez, so much like Kushina... He shook his head. "No, actually not. I was _persuaded,_ none too gently might I add, and decided it was better for my manhood to arrive on time."

Naruto laughed. "So it took me going into prison for you to arrive on time. Why didn't I think of that before?"

"Ha Ha," Kakashi deadpanned and stalked out into the hallway. "Now, follow me."

The walk out of the prison is uneventful, though Kakashi advises Tayuya to wear at least two pieces of clothing before they get outside. After Naruto sacrifices a pair of dark blue shorts they stride out into the sunlight. Tayuya with a victorious grin and Naruto with his eyes fixed on her swaying form. Damn, he even missed when the sun and the fresh air hit him for the first time in years!

The guards at the tower say nothing. If anything, they appear ashamed of themselves at the sight of him.

"Serves them right, bastards," he hears Tayuya growl and he takes her hand to calm her down. And it does. It always did, just as skin contact with her calmed him down, no matter how angry he got.

Naruto remembered the secretary and she, too, looked absolutely ashamed of herself at the sight of him. "Gor right ahead," she tells them without looking up.

Still, Kakashi knocks on the door thrice before opening it.

They enter the office and stand in front of the wooden desk, the same one that the old man used. In fact, the whole office seemed to not have changed at all. Aside from the Hokage, that is. Tsunade was sitting behind the desk, hands folded in front of her. She didn't wear the hat, it was on the desk in front of her. In between two big stacks of paper that wobbled dangerously. She smiled gently at him and Naruto found that he smiled as well. It made it all real. He was free again.

He was about to say something, a lazy "Hi!" or "Still a granny, I see!" or just jump and hug her but Tayuya beat him to it.

"Holy shit!" she gasped, "Her tits are _HUGE_!"

And Naruto broke down laughing.

* * *

They were brought before the council in a matter of minute. It could have gone faster if Tsunade hadn't blown a gasket at Tayuya's comment and tried to instil some respect in the girl. Of course, it didn't work.

"So, cow tits, how's this gonna work out?" Tayuya asked the Hokage and Naruto had to hide his laughter behind his hand.

Tsunade growled as she kicked open the door. "You will go straight back to prison of you say that one more time!"

In the circular room stood an equally circular desk, the symbol for "fire" was etched into the middel and inlaid with gold. Sitting at the table was just about every clan head and jonin in the village. Tsunade took her place in the biggest chair that was closest to the door and sighed.

"Okay," she said, "Let's go over this farce one more time."

Curiously enough, Naruto noted the the civilian council was no longer in the room. The jonin now filled their seats and Kakashi left their side to take their place among them.

"Naruto Uzumaki has been imprisoned for the attempt of genocide on the Uchiha clan three years ago. Due to circumstances and a probably manipulated vote, he was sent to prison within an hour of his return. The mater of vote manipulation is still not resolved and I swear to kami if I find out who did it I'll buts your genitals with my pinky finger!" She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Tayuya has been a prisoner of war and I will her nothing besides that!" she shouted over the rising protest of some jonin at the other side of the room. "Within her sentence she has given us incredibly valuable information on Orochimaru and thus her sentence has been reduced to the three years that are no over!

"The same goes for Naruto Uzumaki! His attempt of genocide was never proven and his mission was fulfilled. While attempted genocide is indeed a capital crime, it was never in the clear if he truly did so. Inoichi Yamanaka could not enter his mind, given the seal he bears. In light of his assistance in gathering the information from Tayuya and the general haziness of the case he is to be released after three years as well, meaning today!"

Voices were rising again but Tsunade stood from her chair and shouted, "This concludes the meeting!" and turned to leave.

"What?" Tayuya asked in confusion, "That is all? I thought we had to fucking testify or some shit!"

Naruto nodded. "So did I but I'm fine with this."

"Hell if I'm not!" Tayuya chirped. "Let's get the fuck out of here before they change their mind!"

The confused and angered shouts of some council members ring after them as they walk though the door.

"What about the vote!?"

"We need to seal her!"

"He can't be pardoned like that!"

"What the hell is this!?"

Tayuya snickered. "You just pulled one over them, didn't you?"

Tsunade smirked. "If they think I'd let them get away with what they did to Naruto here, they're not straight in the head anymore."

"By the way," Naruto spoke up, "What happened to the civilians?"

"You saw the windows in the council room?" Tsunade asked and Naruto nodded, remembering the big, circular windows at the back of the room. "That's how we covered up the holes were I smashed them out of the village."

Tayuya snorted. "Oh, you are fucking cool, cow tits!"

"I said don't call me that, brat!" Tsunade fumed at the girl.

"Oh I don't have the ass to be a fucking brat or some shit," Tayuya shot back. "Ask Naruto!"

As Tsunade's gaze zeroed in on him, he coughed nervously. "Anyways, what will happen now?"

They reentered the office and Tayuya hopped over to one of the leather couches and slumped down on it. "Oh how I missed this! Whatever happens, we have to get us a fucking couch alongside the bed!"

Naruto smirked. "That I'll second. Then again, a couch alone could be enough."

"I ain't not shagging you on a piece of leather! Only if I'm on top!" Tayuya quipped, grinning like a loon.

Tsunade looked only the slightest bit scandalized by their talk and shook her head. "Yeah..., happening next is reinstating you as civilians. For now, that is. You are on probation for two months before I can let you rejoin the ranks."

Naruto grinned but Tayuya frowned. "Why would you assume I want to join your puny ass forces?"

"Because were Naruto goes, you follow," Tsunade deadpanned.

Tayuya opened her mouth only to close it again. "Fuck you," she muttered under her breath. Tsunade decided to ignore it.

"Anyways," the Hokage continued, "you will be given housing here in Konoha. During your probation it is required that you stay within the borders of the Land of Fire and don't break any laws. Aside from that, you are free to do whatever you want."

"Awesome!" Naruto cheered. He hadn't expected to be let outside of the walls of Konoha. And being given housing, however shabby it might turn out to be, was so much more than he could have wished for. And he would even be able to become a ninja again! He could grown strong again, strong enough to become Hokage. But more importantly, strong enough to protect Tayuya- no, strong enough to stand at her side no matter what.

His gaze sought her eyes and Tayuya's breath hitched. Naruto's eyes were alight with such passion, she feared she'd melt right there on the couch. Even after all the time they had spent together, this pure adoration he held for her always seemed so unreal and Tayuya had feared that it would just _stop_ once they got out. But his gaze alone reinforced her beliefs.

She returned the, heat, returned the passion. Without him, oh the thought alone made her frown. She wouldn't be here without him, she wouldn't be free, wouldn't be _happy_! Their time in prison had brought them closer than she had ever imagined being to anyone. She didn't think there was something Naruto didn't know about her, they had a lot of time to talk after all. And in return, she knew all about him. About his gardening habit, which he would definitely continue she just knew it, his fear of lightning, that only worsened after being stabbed by a chidori though the chest, and the fact that he was nervous about his own body (which was a reason for him to wear those hideous orange clothes). Though Tayuya was quite sure she had cured that shyness out of him, there hadn't been any solid reason anyways. After all he was _soooo bi-_

"So leave my office already! Here!" Tsunade threw a scroll at her, which Tayuya failed to catch and it hit her square in the face, "The address is written inside, the keys are inside it."

The Hokage ushered them outside and before she slammed the door shut, she yelled after them "And don't you dare to not invite me to the housewarming party!"

And just like that, they had their freedom and a house.

Tayuya grinned. "Now for the bed!"

* * *

"You have no idea were the address is, do you?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly at her. "Nope, not at all!"

"You're hopeless!" Tayuya laughed. It didn't matter to her what happened today, she was finally free! "Good shit we got the bed already. We can just crash in some park!" She waved the scroll around in which they had sealed the bed inside.

Kakashi had followed them outside and offered to be the first to help them with furniture. The bed they had bought from one of the fine carpenters close to the tower. The scroll had also been provided by the silver haired jonin.

"You'd sleep in a park when we have a house?" Naruto laughed, "Not as long as I have these keys, lady!" He waved the silver key around in front of her.

"That a challenge?" Tayuya said, hands at her hips, "It's on, lover boy! Now-"

"NARUTO!?"

Naruto cringed instantly as Tayuya winced at the volume of the voice.

The red head whirled around to the voice. "Fuck, what the hell was that!"

Naruto groaned. "Oh kami, that is like... _destined_ to happen or something!"

Strutting down the paved walkway of the park was none other than Sakura Haruno, going full tilt in Naruto's direction.

Turning to Tayuya he smiled weakly at her. "Can we still go back to prison?"


	3. Chapter 3

**The Promise of Tomorrow**

 **A/N: Not letting up yet! Just to mentioned it, I am not bashing anyone here! Loud and intrusive is just Sakura's personality. Not to forget violent. Though Sasuke is a bit OOC here. He is, after all, in the village now.**

* * *

"Naruto!"

Sakura's voice echoed through the trees back at them in a still far to loud volume. Tayuya shook her head and glared in the girls direction.

"Geez pinky!" she shouted back to the girl, "We fucking heard you the first time! Shut up already!"

The pink haired girl seemed to ignore Tayuya completely as she zeroed in on Naruto. "You're out of prison!"

Naruto fought the urge of a snarky remark. Wow, Tayuya really rubbed off on him. "Yeah, just got out of the tower."

The pinkette nodded. "Lady Tsunade told me she'd set up a trial for you, but not that it was today!"

Tayuya scoffed. "Why would cow tits tell you in the first place?"

Sakura jumped, as if she had just realized that Tayuya was there. She turned to her with something akin to loathing in her eyes and a sneer on her lips.

"Who the hell even are you?" she questioned, hands in her hips and chest puffed out.

Tayuya's left eyebrow twitched. What was this girls problem? The pink haired bitch had no business with _her_ Naruto anymore. Tayuya knew that she and the damn Uchiha had been the only ones of the genin to not send a letter or something to him. Even the stuck up Hyuuga sent him a book, even if it was about proper etiquette.

"I'm Tayuya and-"

"Great, great," Sakura snapped and waved her hand dismissively at her, "then can you go and bother someone else?"

"Now listen here, _bitch_ ," Tayuya fumed, a fierce scowl etched into her features, "Either you leave us alone or I'll see to it that you fucking wish you'd never walked up to us in the first place!"

This wasn't going towards anything good and Naruto was well aware of that. But why did it have to be Sakura? Even Sasuke would have been a better encounter than this. How did he even have a crush on her? He honestly couldn't remember how that happened. Was it because her pink her? Well, she did stand out and wasn't that what he always wanted? To be recognized? Had he met Tayuya any earlier, geez, that stupid crush would never have happened. Because she saw him as Naruto. As _her_ Naruto. Not as some troublemaker, not as the jinjuriki, not as an annoyance. And he loved her for that.

Still, as entertaining as a catfight might have been, seeing Tayuya claw Sakura's eyes out was not the first thing he needed after leaving their three year long incarceration.

So he grabbed the red head's hand, spun her into his arms and smiled at her bewildered expression. "Come on," he said and kissed her atop of her brow, "we have a bed to christen."

Sakura's expression was absolutely priceless. If her jaw would have dropped any further it would have surely hit the ground, her eyes widened to a comical size and the only sound that escaped her gaping mouth was a numb "Huh?"

She didn't miss the smug smile on Tayuya's face however and shouted after them. "Naruto! Who even is that!?"

Naruto turned around, a hand still grasping Tayuya's, and smirked. "She's mine!"

* * *

The street their house was supposed to be in was in the outskirts of the village and yet quite sophisticate looking. The forest was thick around them and it was like walking through a park all over again. The streets were laid with cobblestone and every way to go appeared to be a tree lined alley. There was a stream going right through most of the neighborhood, snaking around big trees and some of the houses they could spot through the thick green. The streetlights they passed seemed positively ancient in comparison to those in the center of the village. All in all the neighborhood seemed really old, but to Tayuya and Naruto it was nice enough.

"Brim Water Alley 12?"

"Yep, that's what it says."

"Fuck me..."

"Sure, but we could go inside first."

"Oh shut up, you!"

The house is by far bigger than they had imagined. Naruto half expected another mostly vacated apartment building but this? That was more of a mansion than a house. Three stories tall, a huge double front door with a porch carried by four pillars and what appeared to be a small tower on the left edge of the house.

"I get the tower!" Tayuya shouted and snatched the keys from Naruto's hand.

As Tayuya bounded up the paved way towards the few steps that led up to the doors, Naruto still stared at the house as if he'd been dreaming. Only the sound of Tayuya bodily throwing herself against the apparently wedged doors broke him out of his trance.

"Fuck! These hinges are rustier from disuse than pinky's private parts!"

Naruto snorted a laugh. "I don't wanna know that! Oh geez I'm gonna have nightmares with that image..."

Tayuya kicked down the left door, whirling up an incredulous amount of dust from the floor behind it. "Only if you sleep tonight, lover boy!"

The house was _big_ , like seriously huge. If it looked big from the outside it was like twice the size on the inside.

"We have a fucking chandelier!" Tayua exclaimed as she hopped up a grand staircase over which a humongous silver chandelier was residing on a golden chain as it swayed gently in the wind that came in through the shattered windows he could spy upstairs. "It's huge! Look at all the space we have! I bet we even have a sauna in here!"

"But aside from that," Naruto said, "This place is a dump." He kicked away a tree branch that must have fallen in from-

"There's a freaking tree in our bathroom!"

And true to Tayuya's word, out of a room, obviously the bathroom, a tree branch extended into the house. It nearly reached all the way to the chandelier and as he stepped inside the dusty and leave littered bathroom he saw that the whole ceiling was covered by the crown of the tree. Apparently,m the ceiling was made of glass, so the tree thrived in here.

Tayuya was already climbing up the part of the tree trunk that had broken trough the floor of the balcony and up into the crown. A few squirrels and birds angrily left their nest as Tayuya disturbed it. An apple flew down at him and he caught it without flinching.

"We have an apple tree in our bathroom!" she laughed, swinging from a higher branch. Tayuya was laughing and bouncing like and excited child and it was infectious. Neither of them had ever got to be a child. Carefree and all that. "And look at that bathtub!"

Bathtub was really stretching the word. It was more like a small pool that was let into the floor. Metal pipes - _golden_ metal pipes - ran up the cream colored tile wall and formed several shower heads above it which were woven into intricate, shiny patterns of hundreds of smaller tubes.

"Damn," Naruto muttered. "That's hell of a lot kitsch in here..." He jumped up to Tayuya and together they climbed through the dirty skylight.

The view was breathtaking. They were probably farthest away from the Hokage mountain as possible while still in the village and with all the trees around them that were so high grown the village disappeared beneath the leaves. It was funny, Naruto had never understood why they would call Konoha the village hidden in the leave but seeing this, it didn't seem all that far fetched anymore. The only building he could truly make out was the Hokage's tower and maybe, if he squinted, the white roof of the hospital with the laundry swaying in the gentle breeze.

"Shit," Tayuya whispered and grasped his hand, squeezing it tightly. Naruto turned and looked at her disbelieving expression. "This," she said almost reverently, "This is _our home_!"

Naruto smiled, so wide he felt like his face might just split. It was the same shit eating grin he had always faked back then. Only this time it was real.

"Yeah, home," he whispered into the wind. "And all it took were three years of incarceration."

Tayuya snorted. "Way to ruin the moment, shithead!" She flicked his forehead and jumped down into the house once more.

* * *

"I fucking hate cleaning!"

"Or so you say," Naruto laughed as he and Tayuya sat on their newly erected bed, "but in the end all the clones are working while you sit here and throw apples at them."

With another _POOF_ a clone was dispelled as an apple nailed him in the crotch. Naruto winched as the memory came in. Her aim was deadly. From man, that is. "But it's so fucking boooooring!"

Naruto rolled off the king sized bed that stood proudly in the dead center of the otherwise barren room they had chosen to be their master bedroom. "Let's go out then! It's been three years and I'm sure there's a lot of new stuff! Plus, you haven't really been around the village, aside from infiltrating it."

Tayuya rolled around on the bed, humming thoughtfully as she rolled from one side to the other and back again. "Sure," she said," Why the fuck not!"

She jumped off the bed and landed not an inch away from him. "We need some clothes anyways!"

Looking down at himself Naruto found himself agreeing. The deep green shirt he wore was a size or two too small and his pants could be a little longer. Like Tayuya, he didn't wear shoes, they had become too small about half a year into their imprisonment. The hoodie Tayuya wore was his to begin with and the shirts she still had were too small, showing her belly and hugging her chest uncomfortably tight. That said, some undergarments were desperately needed, though Tayuya wasn't the type to wear bras. Simple chest bindings or a tight undershirt was enough for her. Or just nothing at all. Naruto wouldn't complain either way.

"So," she asked as they sauntered down their staircase and outside over the kicked down door, " Where are we going?"

He grinned at her. "No idea!"

Turns out that "No Idea!" was exactly how it went. Even after three years and a considerable growth spurt, people still noticed him. But their glares were different. It weren't even glares anymore. They looked at him as if they were unsure how to react to him, afraid that they could say something wrong. While he pondered on this Tayuya stared each and everyone of them down with a death glare that would have Anko shiver in her probably non existent panties. How _dare_ these fuckers look at him like that!? If not for another prison sentence she'd have her doki maim their puny asses!

She took hold of his hand. "They don't matter," she told him. "We have each other. They don't matter."

Naruto squeezed her hand in return and smiled slightly, a weight slipping of his shoulders and the looks became more bearable.

Eventually though, Naruto and Tayuya stumbled upon a shop, at which they weren't met by such strange and barely concealed contempt. Instead, they were met by a familiar face. The surprise was written all over her but it passed soon enough for a wide grin as she approached them.

"Tenten," Naruto said as a greeting, still hesitant for another "oh-shit-what-to-do" reaction.

The girl waved enthusiastically. "Naruto! It's been years! Seems like prison did nothing to dull you down! Aside from your clothes, that is." Her eyes drifted over to Tayuya and their joined hands. "In fact," she grinned, "It seems you got on just fine!"

He laughed sheepishly. "More than fine, if we take the incarceration aside!" He motioned to the red head. "Tenten, this is Tayuya. Tayuya, Tenten."

Tenten grinned and extended her hand in greeting but Tayuya was far less enthusiastic.

It wasn't that she _didn't_ want to kiss the girls feet for the by miles better attitude, it was just that she frowned (and nearly sneered) upon the initiation of some sort of physical contact. Her time with Orochimaru had - unfortunately - taught her that it is better not to be too trusting. She had made the mistake of trusting, and in the following, touching Kabuto when she had been wounded. The poison had been in her system for weeks. The pain was unbearable. And all because she had trusted him far enough to let him touch her. It was, of course, different with Naruto. His touch brought her warmth, comfort, happiness. And _love._

But everybody else? They'd better keep their hands to themselves.

The disdain was visible on Tayuya's face like the sun on a clear day. Tenten couldn't have missed it. But she said nothing and simply took her hand back and offered a polite and surprisingly understanding smile.

"Anyways," she said, "What brings you here? Oh! Let me guess!" Her cheerfulness returned and it was as if nothing had ever happened. Still, Tayuya stood noticeably closer to Naruto who fixed her with a piercing gaze that told her not to worry.

It was Tayuya who answered. "Me and lover boy her need some new clothes. These rags won't do anymore."

Nobody could ever claim that Tenten was stupid. Far from it, in fact. After Naruto went into jail, his "case" was made public. Naruto didn't know it, but everyone in the village was aware of the fact that he was a jinjuriki. And thus, Tenten was sure why he had come here. The villagers must have looked upon him with a mix of fear and uncertainty, something that after three years of isolation was far from comfortable. So she just smiled and nodded.

"Of course!" she said, gesturing to the storefront, "Come on in! We'll find you something fitting."

Naruto smiled. "Thank you."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Nothing worth mentioning!"

As they walked in, Tayuya remembered something of utmost importance. Something she wouldn't ever forget. Had she forgotten... it would have been unbearable!

"And no fucking orange!"

Naruto pouted just the slightest bit.

* * *

Leaving with scrolls full of clothes and in a new attire altogether, the pair made their way back to their abode. Judging from the memories of his clones, Naruto suspected the house to be mostly clean, safe for the basement which the clones hadn't entered yet. Fixing his new, deep green, jacket over the black shirt Naruto with Tayuya, a cone of ice cream in her hand, in tow came once more into their neighborhood. Clad in a nondescript leather jacket and a shirt as green as Naruto's jacket Tayuya hummed a tune she intended to try out on her flute later. She smirked whenever she felt Naruto's eyes on her. On her legs, to be precise, which were clad in tight black pants. _Very_ formfitting black pants.

On their way past a particularly large thicket, Naruto spied a wall that apparently surrounded a compound he hadn't noticed before. He stopped dead in his tracks, frozen as if hit by Haku's ice (bless his soul).

It was the Uchiha compound.

Tayuya, still holding onto his hand, nearly dropped her strawberry ice cream when the blonde suddenly halted. "What the fuck!" she exclaimed as she oh so barely saved her cold treat. "Why did you-?" But the question died away in her throat when she saw the symbol Naruto was staring at.

She remembered. Remembered how he came first into her cell, this gaping hole in his chest, and it scared her. It _terrified_ her that the one who did this was here, probably not far from them. She remembered how he had nearly died not half a meter from her. How she had by a hair's breath never even met him. And it burned in her, burned at her mark, burned alive the hate, the rage she had lost over the years. The hate for the Uchiha. The hate for Orochimaru. It fueled her, drove her as she reached into a holster at her thigh and pulled out a long knife. It caused her to lust for blood. _His_ blood.

The blood of Sasuke Uchiha.

With an anticlimactic snarl she ripped forward, her ice cream long forgotten, through the underbrush and towards the compound.

"Come one out, you little fucker! Come here so I can gut your boy-toy ass!" she spat at the walls as she sprinted alongside them to find a door to flatten.

She hadn't gone far when Naruto managed to move. He didn't think twice and took off after her. She was about to do something stupid, something that would ruin their new life before it had even fully began. Naruto saw her stop in front of a green wooden gate, could see, and more so feel, the malice roll of her in waves. The seal had activated again.

With an overpowered kick the gate caved in and was sent flying all over the courtyard and tore the front door down with it. Tayuya was about to finish what Itachi had started and slaughter the last of the Uchiha when Naruto tackled her to the ground.

"Let go!" she snarled, the curse mark creeping further and further on her skin, "Let me kill him! Let me kill the fucking bastard!"

She struggled against him, kicking out her legs and swiping the knife uncontrollably. "Tayuya!" he implored, "Tayuya, listen to me! If you do this, I we will go back into prison!"

The knife scratched his cheek as his hold on her wrist failed. With a grunt he pushed her down with his upper body, both her arms flailing helplessly overhead.

"I don't fucking care!" she screeched, eyes tearing up, "He tried to take you form me! He tried to kill you! I will fucking torture him! Murder him!"

He pressed his forehead against hers and her darkened eyes cleared a bit. "But I'm here! He failed, Tayuya! I'm here! I am _here_! He can't take me from you. No one can!"

Naruto leaned down to her ear and whispered. "No one can take me. Because you have me. Because I _love you_."

His lips hit the seal and they nearly burned up. An audible hiss and the feeling of kissing glowing hot steel was all that Naruto could feel for a second before he could hear Tayuya's scram of agony as the seal tried to stay active. But he didn't let up, kept his lips on her skin even as the smell and taste of burned flesh flooded his senses and the bile began to rise at the back of his throat. After an agonizingly painful minute, Tayuya stilled, still breathing heavily.

"Fuck...," she breath as her arms managed to wind around Naruto, "I _hate_ this seal."

Naruto just groaned into her hair. His lips hurt by far too much to speak. He could feel the already heal but he wasn't about to strain them anymore than necessary. They laid there for a while, trying to calm down until they heared a groan coming from the house. The door that had been catapulted inside the house was slowly pushed upwards and kicked away. Underneath it, with a sufficiently bloody nose, was none other than Sasuke Uchiha.

"Holy hells, what was that...?" he moaned as he sat up, rubbing his head and blinking lazily against the setting sun. His eyes fell on a mop of familiar blonde hair. He went as pale as a ghost. "Oh come on..."

 **A/N: Chapter 4 is already in progress!**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Promise of Tomorrow**

 **A/N: And we just keep going :3 Re-read the first chapter! A lot more info on the time in prison and more fluff! I wanted to bring this out with the update of the first chapter but, fuck! It is like 2:50a.m I can't fucking write straight anymore!**

* * *

Naruto pushed himself up, still dizzy from having his lips flash fried. He smiled lazily down at Tayuya. "Damn I knew you were hot but this is pushing it."

She snorted and swatted at his face, missing it spectacularly by an arms length. "Fucking cheesy," she slurred with a dizzy smile.

Helping Tayuya up as well, Naruto sighed. "I really need to find a way to get that seal of you. Maybe there's something in the library."

"You wish, idiot."

Naruto and Tayuya whirled around to the ruined door of the Uchiha compound. There, covered in splinters of wood and with a bloody nose, was Sasuke Uchiha, looking as annoyed as Naruto remembered him.

"Oh shit," Tayuya whispered and reached for another knife but Naruto grasped her hand before it could slip into her pouch. She looked up at him in confusion.

He leaned down to her. "He is pissed, but not hostile. Probably has no idea how to react," he whispered into her ear. Turning to the Uchiha he spoke aloud "Hey there, Sasuke."

The Uchiha regarded them and then his ruined gate. "You know," he drawled, "You could have knocked."

Naruto blanched. "Oh boy, your humor didn't get any better, did it?"

"And you're as intrusive as ever, although you seem to take it to a more literal level now," Sasuke said, gesturing to the broken gate.

"Hardy-fucking-har, duckbutt," Naruto scoffs, rolling his eyes.

Sasuke ignores the jab. "So, will you tell my why my front gate is now laying on top of my front door?"

Naruto looks at Tayuya and Tayuya looks back at him. They nod. "We blame the curse mark," they say as one.

"Do you now," Sasuke says with a roll of his eyes. "Look, I don't really care. It's not like I don't have the money to fix this. I just want to know what you are doing here." He looks down at his feet. "I didn't think you'd want to see my face ever again."

Naruto's heavy sigh has him look up again. "Okay Sasuke, I'm not as spiteful as you think I am. Shit happened, cursed seals did shit, you were a bitch, your brother is still a psychopath and all that. But as it is, it's all in the past."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?"

He shrugs. "Just like that. We're still going to kill the snake bastard because murder is never all over and done with." Tayuya nods, still exhausted from the cursed seal.

Sasuke shakes his head. "I can't just quit it with that. I tried to kill you and-"

"And you failed spectacularly," Naruto finished for him. He smirked. "Even with an assassination technique. That says a lot about you, doesn't it?"

"It does?"

Tayuya laughs dryly. "Yeah, it says you really suck at killing properly, duckbutt."

Sasuke glares at her. "Who even are- Oh... Wait, why are you here?"

Naruto turns to Tayuya as if he had just now realized that she was there in the first place. "Holy hells where did she come from? Could it be that she came in here with me? No, that is impossible! The great Sasuke would have seen her!" The sarcasm is dripping of Naruto in waves.

"Fuck off, Naruto!" Sasuke growls back, "I know her! She is one of Orochimaru's-!"

"Was one of Orochimarus's," Tayuya supplies nonchalantly.

"Yes, yes, _was_ one of Orochimaru's henchmen and should bring me to-! Wait, You know her?" Sasuke asked, staring at them, in bewilderment.

Naruto scoffed. "Did you get duller or something in the past three years? Or was it just me who made you look good and you were always that slow?"

Sasuke grunted. "Oh, I think now I remember the real reason I tried to kill you for!"

The two of them began marching towards each other both scowling fiercely. They both drew a hand back as if to strike and Tayuya tensed in anticipation-

Until they both grasped each other firmly by the forearm and shook heartily once.

"Damn it's good to have you back, you emo!" Naruto said seriously.

"That it is you idiot!" Sasuke returned.

Tayuya sighed. "Are you guys fucking serious..."

* * *

"So," Naruto said as they walked into the house again, "That went better than expected."

Tayuya raised an eyebrow. "I thought you imagined there to be bloodshed or something."

He laughed. "I did! I really did. But somehow, when I saw him, I knew he was his old self again. I just knew."

"Don't you dare turn out gay now!" she jested and pocked his side.

He swatted her hand away and laughed. "Never!"

The house didn't blink and shine, but it appeared habitable at least. The leaves and the dirt was gone from the entrance hall and the rug that appeared to have been a carpet some centuries ago had been discarded. The dining room, a huge rectangular room to the left of the entrance was as clean as a hundred Naruto's could get it but was barren of any furnishing. Not even a table or some chairs. The kitchen was just through the door inside the dining room. It was a big kitchen, obviously intended for a lot more than two people. The biggest surprise was that it appeared fully functional. Pans and pots were hanging at the white tiled wall over the sink, looking usable with not a speck of rust.

"These must be made of stainless steel," Naruto mused as he took a pot down. "I wonder how long ramen will-"

"No," Tayuya deadpanned without looking up from rummaging through the flying cabinets. She found usable cutlery tucked away in some reasonable clean drawers but there was no sigh of any china or otherwise tableware.

"Well," she said, "we ought to buy some fucking furniture. We don't even have a damn table to eat at. Do we even have food?"

Naruto stopped pouting and opened his mouth to say something but a fork whizzed past his ear and he stopped.

"If you want to say "ramen" go ahead, I have a whole drawer of these babies and I won't hesitate using them," Tayuya said in a falsely sweet voice.

"Ah," Naruto squeaked as he inched away from where the fork had embedded itself in a wooden beam, "Pff, _ramen._ Who even says that?"

"Thought as much," Tayuya chirped and hopped over to him. "Now we can go eat ramen!"

* * *

"Oh my god! Is that you, Naruto?"

Ayame nearly jumped over the counter when she spots the blonde mop of hair.

"And is that _your girlfriend_!?" she damn near shouted when she spotted the woman his hand is attached to.

Naruto waved at her with a big smile and then waved the hand that was interlaced with Tayuya's and the girl laughed and kicked at his leg as she stumbled forward. He had lifted her hand quite high and due to the fact that he was more than a head bigger than the red head she was lurched somewhat forward and upward.

"Idiot," she grumbled softly and pulled at his hand so that he faced her, still grinning.

He quirked a playful eyebrow at her. "Hmm?" he hummed with a smile and leaned forward into her face, looking her straight in the eyes.

Tayuya felt her face grow warm as she stared at him, his playful smirk and his half lidded eyes. How his hair fell ever so often into his face and shaded his eyes, who these damn whiskers seemed to fit into his face so absolutely and made him look so handsome when he smiled at her. So she smiled too, and reached up to cup his cheek. Then her other hand reached up to him and both her hands slid into his hair and pulled him down to meet her lips.

Ayame squealed and old man Teuchi nodded proudly, having just left the backroom of the ramen stand, but neither Naruto nor Tayuya were at any point aware of that.

Finally, Tayuya broke away from Naruto and laid her chin atop Naruto's shoulder to look at Ayame. "Does that answer your question?"

Having never eaten ramen before, which was (according to Naruto) a crime, she wasn't too sure what to take. In the end she settled with the same as Naruto and was pleasantly surprised by what she got. Though eating could have been easier if that Ayame girl hadn't thrown question after question at her. She tried to avoid answering any of them but when suddenly she was asked if they were already planning on children, she nearly chocked on a load of noodles.

"Shit woman!" she coughed, "We don't even have a table yet! Let alone chairs!"

Naruto, also coughing, was also saying things along these lines. Though it involved the lack of a couch and wardrobes. And the tree in their bathroom of course.

But Ayame could find no denial and squealed a lot more and insisted on being invited to their housewarming as well. When Teuchi promised to bring some ramen along the way, Naruto agreed immediately. Tayuya could only roll her eyes.

I was in the late afternoon hours when Kakashi appeared before them.

"Yo," he said, nose hidden in his orange book. Tayuya snorted. Damn pervert.

"You need something?" she asked when he didn't say anything.

Kakashi put his book away. "The Hokage wants to talk to you. Actually, just Naruto. But I won't bother trying to separate you."

"Smart man," Naruto snickered and followed after the jonin as he began to walk away.

"Seems like he's learning, "Tayuya added, nodding sagely.

* * *

Tsunade sat at her desk, or more like, was buried underneath copious amounts of paperwork behind her desk. She groaned when they entered and blinked, as if not sure what they were doing here. Then she glared at Kakashi.

"Three hours late!" she growled and chucked an empty bottle of sake at the man, who wisely didn't dodge it. It shattered against his head but he didn't acknowledge it whatsoever.

"My apologies." He didn't sound sincere at all. "I have been delayed."

One had to admit, it was a miracle that Kakashi didn't bring more of an unreasonable excuse.

Tayuya shook her head. Apparently, he hadn't learned after all.

"Fine, get out," Tsunade said, sighing as she went through a lot of files and folders on her desk haphazardly throwing some behind her, or more accurately, out of the window behind her. Naruto raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Tayuya just snickered silently.

"Right," she said and pulled a red folder from underneath her desk. "We have official business to discuss."

"Such as?" Naruto asked.

"Your clan."

He blinked. "My what now?"

"Clan. The Uzumaki, to be precise."

Tayuya looked strangely at him. "You didn't know?"

"You knew?" he asked her. There was no accusation in his voice, but wonder and confusion.

She looked strangely at him. "Of-fucking-course! You are like, the last Uzumaki out there! Orochimaru killed one in his experiments, bless the poor girls soul, and was desperately trying to find another one! We had a file on you solely because of that, not because of the Kyuubi!"

"What?" he asked, turning to face Tsunade again.

"Yes...," the woman said slowly. "You are, as far as we know, tha last Uzumaki. I myself am only to a quarter an Uzumaki through my grandmother, the first Hokage's wife."

"And you didn't tell me!?"

She sighed. "Naruto, this was involved with the third's law because it concerned your parents. And because your parents had more enemies than a tree has leaves, it was safer you and your loud mouth wouldn't know about them."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue but shut it when Tayuya grasped his hand. Instead he looked gratefully at her and took a deep breath. "So tell me then. Who were my parents?"

Tsunade opened the folder and held up a picture of a woman. A woman with deep reed hair, even deeper in the shade as Tayuya's were. "This," she said, "Is your mother. Kushina Uzumaki. Also known as " _The Hot Blooded Red Habanero"_ , one of the strongest kunoichi ever to live and crown princes of the Land of Whirlpools."

Naruto stepped forward and took the picture. He smiled. He had inherited her facial structure. "She's-... _was_ beautiful..." A tear formed in his eye but he blinked it away and looked at Tsunade again. "And my father?"

Instead of answering, Tsunade pointed at the four pictures that hung over the door of the office and said "Take a guess."

The four pictures displayed the four previous Hokage, from the first to the fourth. As Naruto looked at them with a confused expression, his eyes stayed on the blonde man with bright blue eyes.

His left eye twitched. He turned around, mouth agape, and pointed with a shaky finger at the picture. Tsunade nodded.

And Naruto fainted.

Tayuya snorted as she caught he crumpling form. "Oh you've got to be kidding me..."

* * *

 **A/N: I think I'm going to refer to Kushina's moniker like this. I'm not sure if that's the original though.**

 **Just a reminder: Re-read the first chapter! 3k Words of extra fluff!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**The Promise of Tomorrow**

* * *

It took Naruto a full hour to regain consciousness. But when he did he jumped straight off the couch he was lying on and right into Tayuya's waiting arms. It hadn't been the first time he got himself knocked out after all, so Tayuya was aware of how jumpy he was, waking up like that.

"Welcome back, lover boy," she said with a grin. "Or should I call you Lord Uzumaki?"

He shot her a withering glare but tightened the embrace none the less. "Please don't...," he sighed into her hair.

"We'll see about that," Tsunade said, pushing a stack of papers away from her person as if it were a poisoned meal. "For now you will be just a civilian, given your probation. But once you rejoin the ranks you are officially head of the Uzumaki clan."

"Fuck me," Naruto hissed, letting himself fall back onto the couch.

Tayuya grinned deviously and zipped down her jacket. "As you wish," she whispered.

As Naruto struggled to take his eyes of her, Tayuya slowly lifted the hem of her shirt, revealing her porcelain skin to him.

Tsunade cleared her throat rather loudly, earning an annoyed huff from Tayuya. "As much as I'd appreciate the re population of the clan, for all that is holy don't do it in _my_ office on _my_ couch!" she admonished them with a stern glare.

With another huff, Tayuya pulled down her shirt again, much to the disappointment of Naruto, who had just decided to draw circles on her soft skin.

"Well, we're leaving, I guess," Tayuya announced and pulled Naruto up from the couch. "Come on, let's fucking go. I still want to go to the hot springs!"

"Whatever you want," he said with a smile.

"Oh, I'll hold you to that one, _Lord Uzumaki_!"

Naruto took the news about his parents better than she thought he would. Then again, really wasn't far from possible to have guessed that the fourth was his father. I mean, look at him! If not for the whiskers and the eye shape, he could have been his twin! Well, younger twin... child? Tayuya wasn't sure what to call it. The picture of Naruto's mother had been interesting. While her own hair were not as blood red as Kushina's and her skin was far fairer. That had most likely to do with the years in prison. Naruto was of course immune to that and still had his natural tan. Unfair, she would have called it, until Naruto showed her how much he loved her smooth ad pale skin.

A nice memory, that one.

The hot springs of Konoha were famous throughout all of the elemental nations. Subterranean chambers filled to the brim with molten rock were heating the water that gushed out of the earth here, keeping it warm naturally. It was said to have rejuvenating properties and stuff like that. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Tayuya hoped that that was false, she had no need to get any younger. Her chest had only just experienced a sort of growth spurt after all. No need to loose it before age would claim them, she thought.

"Mixed bathing, huh?" she mused aloud when she and Naruto stood in front of the entrance. She grinned. "Sounds like fun!"

He chuckled and bumped his shoulder into her. His much larger frame caused him to bump her head instead. It had been intentional, she just knew it! "I don't think we will have the privacy for _that_ ," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't need privacy." Tayuya grabbed his arm and pulled him down to eye level. "Let them watch," she purred.

* * *

Jiraiya could not believe his eyes. Aside from the fact that he had just now spied a beautiful redhead in the bath, she was also in accompanied by his student! He had dropped his pencil as he gaped at him. Holy damn shit! He had sent them the lacy underwear as a joke! He hadn't thought they would grow that attached to the other. But he had to admit, that Naruto looked terribly happy for someone who had lost three years of his life in prison.

...

 _Oh!_ The kid was going places! Three years confined to a small cell with nothing but a sexy redhead to entertain himself! He just had to write a book about this!

Jiraiya dug another pencil out of his robes and began to scribble away furiously. The names were easy, Sayuya and.. mmmh, Saruto? Baruto? No! Boruto! Yes, that's it! He giggled to himself. Oh, this was gold! The first page basically wrote itself, two former enemies end up in the same prison after the hero had been betrayed by his land! They loath each other, but the loneliness and the wounds of the past wouldn't heal with time alone... No, for their hearts sought out each other for comfort and in a cold winter night-

A piece of soap slammed into his head with the force of one of Tsunade's punches. In addition to what had to be at least a mild concussion he was showered with pieces of soap as he fell out of his tree and slammed hard down onto the ground. The redhead, Tayuya, grinned at him something vicious as she stood before him, naked as on the day she had been born. Jiraiya's head was spinning, but he caught the look of pity that Naruto shot him before a foot connected solidly with his testicles and he felt as if his very soul was leaving his mangled body behind.

* * *

"I thought you said it didn't matter," Naruto deadpanned as Jiraiya wailed in agony.

Tayuya shrugged and hopped over to him and sank into the water where she took place in his lap. "Normal people," she said, "Not some fucking pervert that's writing his sick porn with us as source."

Naruto sighed. He really would have liked to meet his teacher under more normal circumstances, though he couldn't deny that this had been the most likely way they'd meet again. "Well, shouldn't we throw him out?"

"Nah," Tayuya said, pulling him closer to her, "He knows better than to look at me again." She turned to the downed pervert. "Isn't that right?"

"As right as rain," Jiraiya squeaked, his voice at least five octaves higher than normal. "Nice to see you got out alright, Naruto."

Naruto snorted. "Good you didn't change, pervy teacher."

The Sannin merely groaned in response as he pulled himself up. "Gods, _girl_ ," he rasped, "You're nails are _sharp_!"

"As they were supposed to be," Tayuya snickered before returning to enjoying the water and Naruto's embrace.

Jiraiya grunted as he dragged himself towards the exit. "I'll see you outside, we have a lot to talk about."

Tayuya huffed before grinning deviously. "Then you better be prepared to wait, cause I'm not finished with lover boy yet."

Jiraiya had almost forgotten just how horny teenagers were. He waited outside the bathhouse till sunset.

* * *

"Seems like you retained your stamina," Naruto heard his teacher say once they left the foyer, leaving the heavily blushing attendant behind, who had asked them to leave for they were closing for today. She got an eyeful of just about everything and then some when Tayuya grabbed onto her in her haze.

"That he did," Tayuya said as she stretched in a way that drew all of Naruto's attention to her backside. Easy. She knew what she was doing. "And I'd say, if I wasn't used to it, I wouldn't be walking straight for a week now."

Jiraiya whistled lowly. Before giving Naruto thumbs up. "I am _so_ proud of you."

Of course he would be. Tayuya was by now more amused than pissed, so Naruto supposed that talking to Jiraiya wouldn't land him on the couch. Not that it would happen anyways. Neither of them could sleep alone anymore. "Well, thanks, I guess. What have you been up to?"

"A lot," the older man sighed. "A whole lot of stuff. Do you remember how Itachi and his blue skinned partnered came after you?"

Tayuya knew he did. He had told her that the older Uchiha was fucking scary. "I do," he said, "What of it? Did they try to capture me again?"

"You never wondered why they wanted you?" Jiraiya asked him as they began to make their way back to their house.

Of course he hadn't, she made sure he had a lot of other stuff on his mind. Tayuya wasn't sure if she should feel guilty about that. She had basically used him to work though every damn problem she ever had, every trauma and every bad dream. She blinked as she felt Naruto grasp her hand. He lightly shook her head at her. That damn, lovable bastard! A side effect from pouring her everything out to him was that he just _knew_ her. There was nothing she could hide. Not that she wanted to.

"Nah," Naruto dismissed, "Should I?"

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head. "Well, were you an average, everyday blonde with whiskers and a clingy redhead, no. Then you wouldn't have to worry about a thing." He scoffed. "But because you just happen to contain a walking calamity, you better should."

"What do you mean, clingy," Tayuya huffed. "I'm lovable, for fucks sake. Get the difference."

Naruto grinned at her before turning to his teacher. "So what? They want the Kyuubi?"

"Got it in one," Jiraiya affirmed with a tired sigh. "Look, I've spent the last three years trying to figure out how we deal with this. Good news, there's still time before they move. I heard that the container of the three tails got himself killed just a year back. I found out that it takes three years for the thing to reform and apparently the Akatsuki, which is what they call themselves, are content with waiting until the beast reformed before they move to gather them all."

"Gotta catch em' all, huh?" Naruto grumbled. "So?" he asked Jiraiya," What do we do about it?"

"Yeah", Tayuya added, "How do we kick their ass so they don't kick lover boy's? I'm the only one allowed to do that."

Naruto snorted a laugh as Jiraiya looked at her incredulously. "Right," he said slowly. "Anyhow, the standard plan is, like your other half here said, to kick their asses."

"Knew it," Tayuya laughed victoriously, bumping into Naruto, who rolled his eyes in response but couldn't hide a smile.

"But that ain't going to be easy," Jiraiya continued sternly. "Because of all this prison bullshit we lost three whole years I had planned to use to train you. So the standard isn't going to cut it. Three years aren't enough to get you into fighting shape to defeat over half a dozen S-Ranked missing nin."

"Not even if we spam shadow clones like crazy?" Naruto asked hopefully.

They entered the outer forest area by then where the Naruto and Tayuya lived as well as Sasuke sulked his life away. "You know about that?" Jiraiya asked in slight surprise.

Naruto glanced at Tayuya who grinned hungrily at him. "Well, we had a lot of time on our hands."

"Ohoho!" Jiraiyia laughed, "You two are worth gold!" He took some notes immediately. "How many clones did you use at one?" he inquired with a gleam in his eyes.

"He didn't get to fuck my ass, if that's what you wanna know," Tayuya deadpanned. "We figured that wouldn't go well."

"So you tried?" Jiraiya asked without hesitation. Naruto rolled his eyes and grumbled something under his breath.

Tayuya shrugged. "Sure. But it simply... wouldn't do for me."

"Is he that well endowed?" Jiraiya asked seriously.

"Better than you? Any fucking day," Tayuya shot back.

Jiraiya took a step back, bringing his hand to his chest in mock pain. "You wound me! Woman far and wide sing my praise! For they all-"

"-have been severely disappointed, I'm sure," Naruto finished for him. "Now, are you going to follow us inside as well or is there something you have to tell us?"

Jiraiya glared at him before clearing his throat. "Yes, well... as I said. Whipping you into shape isn't enough. You can't do this alone."

"As if I'd let him anyways," Tayuya threw in, squeezing Naruto's hand.

"Yes, right," Jiraiya recovered and glared at Tayuya, "You are going to need powerful allies, Naruto. People who you can fight with, who you can trust your life with. We'll have to put something against the Akatsuki."

Naruto and Tayuya came to halt at the crossroad that lead up to the house. He took a seat on the stump of an ancient tree and Tayuya sat in his lap without a second thought. The blonde sighed as he placed his head on Tayuya's shoulder, inhaling her scent. It always served to calm him. "So we got me, Tayuya, you and who else? Kakashi? Tsunade?"

Jiraiya coughed into his hand. "Well... I thought about, uh, Sasuke Uchiha."

And here Naruto had thought that he'd never have to deal with the emo kid again... "Kami... Just, why?" he asked his teacher.

"He has potential," Jiraiya said, "One almost as vast as yours. He changed a lot after you dragged him back here."

"I know," Nauto huffed.

"So what-?"

Jiraiya was interrupted by a growl from Tayuya, who jumped off Naruto and was in his face in the blink of an eye. "Don't talk about the fucker that almost killed him! I'll murder his fucking face! I'll gut him with my bare hands! I'll-"

She was cut off when Naruto pressed his lips into her neck and she sighed in relief. Jiraiya blinked at her with wide eyes and looked at Naruto for answers. "The seal is still strong," he explained, "That and she can't stand Sasuke. And, really, neither can I. Not at the moment, at least."

Jiraiya sighed. "Duly noted." Well, seemed like the beginning of an abhorrent cluster fuck.

* * *

"Yugure?" Tayuya repeated as they headed out the next day. "What kinda stupid fucking name is that?"

Naruto shrugged as he zipped the forest green jacket up. "Well, Akatsuki means Dawn, so the pervy teacher thought it would be fitting to call us Yugure, which means dusk or something like that."

"Dusk? That's fucking cringe," Tayuya scoffed.

"Hell yes it is," Naruto agreed laughingly, "But we don't ever have to call ourselves anything."

Tayuya captured his hand as they ambled down the big staircase. "I call you mine, lover boy, and you better don't forget that."

"How could I ever," Naruto said as he jumped down the last few steps, dragging her with him. "Well, let's get this shit over with. Hopefully he isn't as late as Kakashi."

"I'm not!" the voice of Jiraiya called though the door. "I've been here for almost an hour! I could hear you shag, you horny animals!"

Tayuya growled and kicked open the door in hopes of hitting the white haired man. "I swear to kami, I will murder you if you keep this up!"

The door did indeed catch Jiraiya flat in the face, leaving the distinct imprint of the doorknob on his forehead. Naruto looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Did you try to look through the keyhole?"

"No," the man instantly denied, "Why ever would you think that?"

Tayuya sighed and kicked at Jiraiya's shins. "Just a hunch, fucking doorknob face. Now, get a move on."

The Sannin huffed but obeyed nonetheless. "To the residential Uchiha it is."

"Kami have mercy," Naruto grumbled. "Well, at least he won't be as bad as three years ago if our, uh, _meeting_ yesterday was any indication."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "You've met?"

"No, actually, Tayuya kicked his door in and tried to kill him," Naruto replied nonchalantly.

They rounded a corner and walked along the walls of the Uchiha compound. The white haired Sannin gave both of them a disbelieving look.

Tayuya shrugged. "It was just a door. Though... It may have hit him when I kicked it in."

Jiraiya shook his head. "Of course it did."

As if to proof the point, the big wooden door that had once closed off the gate was still lying in front of the house. "Seriously?" Jiraiya huffed. "We are trying to make allies here, not start another clan war."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Hey, that seal is mad business. Besides, we reconciled. Somehow." He faced the house were Sasuke should probably be in. "OI!" hollered, "Get you ass out here, emo king!"

The reply was almost instant. "Don't be so damn loud, idiot!"

Jiraiya sighed. This may as well have been a terrible idea... In the end, the Akatsuki would laugh their asses off or get a show from Tayuya because she felt like it. Yugure, the Akatsuki's dawn, was off to a worse start than his own sage training. Kami have mercy on his soul.


End file.
